Consequences
by JCB
Summary: *Final chapters up* Sequel to my previous fic Retrieval. Shippy with some action added in for good measure. Feedback gratefully received
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Farscape or the characters, I'm just borrowing them  
Author's note: This story takes place after my fic "Retrieval" (I'm in to one word titles!). It would be helpful to have read that first. Ignores events of BWTB and Season four so could be classed as AU  
Consequences  
Chapter 1  
  
Aeryn sighed resignedly as she sat back against the bulkhead. The tool she had been using to fix one of Moya's conduits clanged to the floor as she dropped it beside her. She scooped her hair behind her ear with a shaky hand. Almost a cycle since she had come so close to death following her imprisonment by the Peacekeepers and she still had these moments of dizziness. She had thought that she was finally over it, but over the past couple of weekens this weakness seemed to be returning. She was beginning to wonder whether she would ever fully recover, or whether this would be a permanent legacy of that time at the hands of Peacekeeper High Command. For someone who grew up in an environment where any physical or mental imperfections were punished by death, it was difficult to adjust to. However, she reflected, it was but a small price to pay if one thought that if John hadn't rescued her from her imprisonment she would already be dead by now. Besides, she was becoming accustomed to adjusting to major changes in her life, this could be just one more.  
  
Despite her fears that she was too emotionally battered to enter into another relationship with John, albeit a different one, their love had thrived and their relationship had reached a level of intimacy that she had never expected. John had treated her with infinite patience while she recovered from her illness; spending as much time as possible with her, reading to her, improving her English, keeping her entertained when her convalescence became irksome. He deserved a medal for maintaining his ever cheerful demeanour in the face of some quite awesome displays of temper and frustration on her part! By the time she had sufficiently recovered to resume her usual life aboard Moya, she found that she didn't want to be any place where he wasn't. Since then all aspects of their relationship had developed in leaps and bounds. The physical remnants of her illness aside, Aeryn was deeply contented. She recognised that her relationship with the other John on Talyn, although extremely intense, both physically and emotionally, had almost been clouded with a sense of desperation, as if they both knew that it couldn't last; that it was just a matter of time before something happened to destroy their happiness. This time around things had progressed much more slowly, but she felt more on solid ground. They were still being hounded all over the Uncharted Territories by the Peacekeepers, but she had somehow lost her fear of the inevitable ending that she had developed when the other John died.  
  
She broke out of her reverie and thought about comming John to help her with the last of the repairs, but another wave of dizziness as she tried to stand convinced her that it was time to have a quiet word with Jool without first raising alarm bells with John, who had developed a tendency to fuss over her health. She rose shakily and went in search of the redhead. She found her tinkering with some experiment in the med bay.  
  
"Hey, Aeryn, take a look at this. I've managed to replicate Fardian scented bath oil right down to the exact scent and texture. It's fantastic; no more washing in that dren that D'Argo bought on the last commerce planet!"  
  
"That's, er, great Jool, I'm, um, really pleased for you" Aeryn, who didn't give a ropey dren about scented bath oil right at this moment, didn't quite know what to say. But underneath she had some respect for the girl whose medical skills had saved her life, so she managed to display some semblance of interest by sniffing at the blue concoction.  
  
"Um, very nice. Look Jool, I'm sorry to bother you when you're obviously busy with something important, but I wandered if you could check me out. I've been feeling a bit rough over the last few days. I don't know whether it's some sort of relapse"  
  
Jool could tell Aeryn was really worried. It took a lot for the ex- Peacekeeper to admit to any weakness. During her long recovery she had almost driven Jool mad because she would do too much and conceal how bad she felt, so she knew to take this seriously. She had Aeryn lie on the bed and ran a scan and took some blood for testing.  
  
Aeryn was anxiously chewing the side of her thumb. Jool wondered with a smile if she had picked up the habit from Crichton. Well it wasn't the only thing she had picked up from Crichton!  
  
"You're definitely not having any sort of relapse," she said to her anxious patient.  
  
"That's good, but why do I feel like crap?" Definitely spending way too much time with Crichton! Jool sat down beside Aeryn on the bed and took her hand. She had a feeling the next news would come as a bit of a shock to the ex-Peacekeeper.  
  
"You're pregnant," she said softly  
  
"Pregnant?" Aeryn replied incredulously. "But I can't be. I mean, I've got an implanted contraceptive. All troops born on command carriers have them. There supposed to be 100% effective for at least 30 cycles"  
  
"You may have had one, but it's not there now," replied Jool  
  
"Not there now? I don't understand"  
  
"Look at this scan. That's where it should be and no IC. That, however, is definitely a developing foetus. The blood test confirms it. I think that the doctor who operated on you after John rescued you from the Peacekeepers probably had to remove it"  
  
Aeryn sat in stunned silence, tears glistening on her eyelashes.  
  
"I can't be pregnant Jool, I just can't be. I don't want to be. What am I going to do?"  
  
"I suggest that you talk it through with John"  
  
"No, I can't tell him about it yet. I need to think about this myself for a while. How far along am I?"  
  
"I think you're about two monens, although it's a bit difficult to tell as I have no idea about human gestation cycles and how a human-sebaccean hybrid foetus is likely to develop"  
  
"OK, but there should still be some time before it's obvious?"  
  
"Yes. You won't do anything stupid will you Aeryn?"  
  
"No Jool, I won't do anything stupid," Aeryn replied with a slightly twisted smile, "but please promise me that you'll keep this a secret. I know that I haven't always been as friendly as I could be towards you but I desperately need you to keep this a secret for me."  
  
"I won't tell a soul Aeryn, I promise" she rather awkwardly patted Aeryn's hand "and if you need someone to talk to about this then I'll be here."  
  
"Thanks. I might just need that" 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
John Crichton watched the extremely stiff departing back of his lover and wondered for the umpteenth time in the last few days what the hell was going on. If it was PMS it had reached new proportions! He must have done or said something but for the life of him he didn't know what it was. Usually when they disagreed about something, which was fairly frequently, they bickered or shouted at each other but pretty quickly made up in the time-honoured way of true lovers. But for about the last week every time they had disagreed about something Aeryn had just clammed up, said, "I don't want to talk about it, John" and stalked off. She eventually came round, usually in the middle of the sleep cycle, and crept into their bed, letting him wrap his arms around her and hold her like someone comforting a frightened child, but each morning when he awoke she was gone. Something was definitely up and he was going to get the bottom of it.  
  
Things had been going so well for them. He had worked as hard as he could to help her in her recovery and had been amply rewarded. "She takes time," his twin had said and he couldn't have been more right, but it was time well spent. He could only be happier if they had a more stable lifestyle that didn't involve getting shot at at regular intervals. He knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Aeryn, that they should have a family together. He had even thought about asking her to marry him, but he wasn't sure that she was ready for that next step and he didn't want to rock the boat. Now was also hardly the right time. The long threatened Peacekeeper-Scarren war had finally broken out, although only in small skirmishes at present if the few news reports they had obtained were to be believed. Funnily enough this had actually given them a little breathing space as the Peacekeeper units and command carriers that had been searching for them had been recalled and were now occupied elsewhere. Scorpius was obviously also tied up with the Scarrens because they hadn't heard anything from him since the debacle on the High Command planet. John had a horrible feeling that he was just biding his time for the next suitable moment to make his life hell.  
  
This didn't mean that they could relax entirely. The Peacekeepers had made sure that every bounty hunter in the galaxy was after them by putting such high prices on all their heads. John reflected that this end of the galaxy wasn't so very different from his own: everything always boiled down to money in the end! It meant that they had to be wary wherever they went. This understandably led to stress and tensions among the crew. No, not a good time to be broaching the subject of marriage and kids with Aeryn, even without her current bad mood!  
  
Whilst John was contemplating the best way to find out what was up with Aeryn without having her remove vital parts of his anatomy, Pilot appeared on the clamshell.  
  
"The planet we are approaching seems to be highly inhabited, possibly indicating a commerce planet. I'm afraid Moya's memory banks do not hold any data about the various planets in this system; we are so deep in the Uncharted Territories as to be beyond her knowledge."  
  
"Thanks Pilot, we'll check it out. We could do with a trip to the grocery store. Hey, Aeryn, honey, are you coming?" Maybe a trip down to the planet, just the two of them, would give him an opportunity to find out what was wrong. He turned to the others who were in command with him  
  
"Hey guys, me and Aeryn will do the shopping run today, if that's OK with you. You know, a chance to spend 'quality time' together!"  
  
"You're welcome to it. I've known Charrids with better personalities than her at the moment, " moaned Rygel. "And make sure that you get some better provisions than the last lot."  
  
"That was all that was to be had, Rygel and you know it" responded an irritated D'Argo.  
  
"Can I come? I really need to get off this ship for a while" said Chiana. D'Argo gave her a warning look. He was very aware of the tension between Crichton and Aeryn at the moment and would be extremely relieved if they could work it out.  
  
"Ah, Chiana, I thought you said you were going to help me with trying to work out some more of Lo'la's commands?"  
  
"Do I have to?" Another look from D'Argo finally registered with the Nebari. "Oh, yes, OK, that'll be fun" she lied valiantly.  
  
John was preparing the transport pod when Aeryn appeared in the cargo bay strapping on an additional weapon.  
  
"You think that's necessary?" he asked. "We don't want to scare people"  
  
"Of course it's necessary, John. Just because we are a long way from Peacekeeper space doesn't mean that there isn't knowledge of the bounties on our heads"  
  
"Point taken, but we'll have to take the transport pod instead of the Prowler as we need to do the supermarket run!"  
  
"Whatever" was her only reply. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
The trip to the planet actually turned out to be rather pleasant. As with many of the planets they had visited in this far-flung area of the Uncharted Territories, the population was a mixture of many species. They had either migrated from other parts of the universe or were fleeing whatever tyranny or crime their particular problem was, with no questions asked. As such, no one seemed to bother them, no one seemed to care that they looked and dressed like Peacekeepers. They had got all they needed in terms of supplies and retired to one of the open-air cafes in the main square of the city for refreshment. Crichton sat basking in the rays of the twin suns letting them warm his face, whilst Aeryn sat under the shade to keep cool. This was the most content they had been in each other's company for what seemed like days, but maybe that was because they weren't talking, just enjoying the chance to relax. John reached for Aeryn's hand and was happy that she let him hold it in his. He had been about to ask her what was wrong but decided that he best let sleeping dogs lie and just enjoy her company.  
  
For the first time in days Aeryn was not thinking about her current predicament and relished the comforting feeling of John's thumb rubbing up and down the back of her hand. She knew she was being unfair to John and treating him badly, but she couldn't help herself. She knew that in her current emotional state, she would just break down if she didn't walk away when an argument was brewing and she was not ready for that to happen just yet.  
  
Whilst the couple were both silently thinking through these problems, an alien with the grey scaly skin of the predominant natural species of the planet came to sit at the next table with his back to them.  
  
"Are you John Crichton?" he asked, not turning round to face them. "Uh ooh, here we go," thought John  
  
"Who wants to know?" he said nonchalantly as if to Aeryn. She had imperceptibly sat up and her hand slipped from his to rest on her pulse pistol.  
  
"I am a friend. My name is Pralesh. I have come to warn you that our masters know that you are here, but also to ask for your help"  
  
"Your masters? What do they look like? Don't tell me, dressed all in black scaly leather from head to toe with a nasty grin"  
  
"No, of course not, our masters are the Scarrens"  
  
"Scarrens! This planet belongs to the Scarrens? Why does nobody tell me these things? And what are they doing this far into the Uncharteds?"  
  
"It doesn't belong to the Scarrens. Our people have an expertise in radiation and heat technology. Until recently we had just used it for peaceful purposes, but now the Scarrens are forcing us to develop a weapon to use against the Peacekeepers. They wish us to make a weapon that will induce sebacean heat delirium in large numbers of Peacekeepers without damaging the ships they are in."  
  
"They're forcing you to do this? How come?"  
  
"We had contracts with a number of planets in this system for our technology. The Scarrens have bought up all the contracts and so our commerce is paralysed without their patronage. Did you not wonder why your Scarren currency was accepted without question here?"  
  
"Why are you warning us. Won't you be in danger?"  
  
"It is worth it. When I heard the masters talking about John Crichton I knew that you could help us. It is providence that a warrior of your greatness has been sent to free us from this tyranny" Aeryn just gave him a look that said "great warrior, who is he kidding!" He chose to ignore it.  
  
"I'm sorry pal, I'm all out of tyranny termination at the moment. Do you know why the Scarrens are looking for me?"  
  
"They have heard of your exploits against the Peacekeepers, as have we. They also think you may have been responsible for the destruction of one of their dreadnoughts by a wormhole some time ago. They wish to interrogate you"  
  
"Doesn't everybody! Been there, done that and would rather avoid it again if at all possible. Hey, thanks for the warning buddy, we really owe you" he replied. "Aeryn, lets get out of here as quickly and quietly as possible"  
  
"You are not leaving, John Crichton?" Pralesh almost turned round to look at Crichton in his anxiety.  
  
"Look man, I can appreciate being under the thumb of the Scarrens is no bed of roses, but I'm not the Messiah, I'm not your saviour."  
  
"No John, I think we should help" Aeryn, who had been silently listening throughout the exchange spoke up and took the wind out of his sails.  
  
"You don't think we should go straight back to the pod and blast out of here?"  
  
"I suggest that we go somewhere where we can talk privately and think about this. How about that hotel over the street?" she started off in the direction of the hotel while John paid their bill before following. Whereas before they had noticed nothing amiss suddenly everywhere they looked people seemed to be watching them. Whether it was real or just paranoia, neither could tell.  
  
"John, we have to do something about this weapon technology" were Aeryn's first words when they got to their hastily rented hotel room.  
  
"Hey, Aeryn, you know that the Peacekeeper-Scarren war is gonna get going very soon and it's going to be real bloody. We've done out best to keep wormhole technology away from both sides, but I bet your bottom dollar they're both working on some other way of blowing each other to hell and back and we're not going to be able to stop everything"  
  
"I agree John, but we do have an opportunity to stop this one. If the Scarrens obtain a means of inducing the living death on a mass scale, imagine how they might use that. Not just against the military; they could wipe out whole colonies of sebacean peoples. For instance, what if they turned it against the breakaway colonies and the Royal planet?" Damn, she knew how to press his buttons! John thought about Princess Katralla, still a statue and carrying his child. He wouldn't want either of them to suffer the living death.  
  
"The sensible thing would be to get the hell out of Dodge asap"  
  
"When have we ever done the sensible thing?"  
  
"Well, there's a first time for everything but I guess it's not gonna be today. You got any ideas how we destroy their research? I know destroying people's weapon research is one of our specialities but I'm all out of plans right at the moment"  
  
"I'm sure our friend will be able to help." As if on queue there was a quiet knock at the door and Pralesh entered the room.  
  
"Well Pralesh, my better half thinks we should help you out," John said with a grimace  
  
"I am very grateful. You must be Aeryn Sun. I have heard many great things of you also." Aeryn acknowledged his words with a slight nod.  
  
"Is it just you who wants the research destroyed or are there others? Where is the weapon held and how advanced is it? How many Scarrens are here?" Aeryn's military past took over as she fired questions at the wide- eyed Pralesh. John just sat back and watched the performance of an officer born to command.  
  
"No, it is not just me. There is a rebel movement of which I am part. I am the main intelligence gatherer because I am the administrative assistant to the Scarren commander. The research facility is in a deep bunker under the main power plant. They have so far built a small prototype device and there are only five Scarrens here; the commander and four guards. They rule by fear rather than numbers" he took a deep steadying breath and looked at Crichton and Aeryn expectantly.  
  
"Thank you, Pralesh. You should leave now so that your master doesn't become suspicious. Meet us behind the hotel when darkness falls. I presume that darkness does fall here?  
  
"Yes it does, Aeryn Sun, in about three arns" with that he left, as quietly as he had arrived.  
  
"Alright John, I have a plan"  
  
"Oh hell, I know this is going to involve huge amounts of shooting and generally behaving like Arnold Schwarzeneggar on a terminator bad day"  
  
"You know it's fun to shoot things, John" she replied with a ghost of a smile. "And who is this Arnold Schwarz-a-thing?"  
  
"Oh, you'd love him, but now is not the time to explain!" 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
"Alright, first we need to contact Moya to let them know we'll be staying a while longer"  
  
"Umm, Aeryn, won't our comms be picked up by the Scarrens?" She gave him her patented "talking to the deficient human" look  
  
"Of course they will John, that's why I'll be very careful what I say. We want the Scarrens to think that we have decided to spend the night here."  
  
"Why would we want that?" The look became more arch  
  
"I thought you wanted to spend "quality time" together?"  
  
"You heard? Damn, I always forget about the comms privacy mode"  
  
"Well, convincing the Scarrens that we want nothing more than to spend time together and, what do you call it, yes, that's it "make out", is a good cover"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be just like spring break." She ignored this comment and carried on  
  
"Anyway, we have to contact Moya because we don't want the others to come storming down here when we don't appear back at the ship on schedule"  
  
"We don't?"  
  
"No. Contrary to your opinion of my plans, I think that this should be a stealth operation"  
  
"Right, we do stealth! Well that'll be a first"  
  
Nightfall found them sitting together in the hotel restaurant. The contact with Moya and all of Aeryn's other clandestine preparations had gone like clockwork, so they were taking this time out to relax a little and set "the sting" as John called it.  
  
The hotel owner observed the sebacean-looking couple who had checked in earlier surreptitiously from his position by the bar. He was being paid a handsome sum by the Scarrens to keep tabs on this particular pair. He noted how they could hardly stop touching each other, just a hand on a knee or the clasp of fingers but they touched constantly. They couldn't seem to finish their meal quickly enough. His last sight of them was on the elevator surveillance camera. The woman had the male up against the side of the car. Lips, hands and tongues seemed to be everywhere. It was a wonder the camera lens wasn't steamed up. "Won't be no trouble from them tonight, except perhaps a broken bed" he grumbled as he went to report to the Scarren commander.  
  
The door of their room slammed shut behind them as Aeryn pulled away from John.  
  
"That should have them fooled into thinking that we'll be frelling all night"  
  
"It kinda had me pretty fooled as well," replied Crichton, bent over with his hands on his knees and taking deep breaths to try and recover from Aeryn's X-rated performance in the elevator, "but I was obviously in the wrong fantasy land. Why is my life always full of the promise of good things that never quite come off?"  
  
"Stop moaning John" she said with a smirk, "anyway, who says the promise won't come true, just a bit later?"  
  
He took another steadying breath. His brain knew this was the completely the wrong time to say something but his heart seemed to be in charge of his mouth right at that moment.  
  
"Well, given how we've been the last weeken or so, I'd say that the odds were stacked against me." Her smile faded at his words  
  
"I know John, but now is not the time to talk about it"  
  
"I know, I know baby, but you just have to tell me what's wrong. I can't think of anything I've done or said but, hell I'm just a guy, so please tell me" she came over to him and put her hand on his cheek.  
  
"It's not you, it's me. I have some, some..issues at the moment that I just need to work out myself. I'm sorry if I've been a pain in the eema. I promise we'll talk about it later"  
  
"OK, Aeryn, but, honey, that's supposed to be one of the good things about being in a relationship. You have someone who's there to work issues through with. You're not alone anymore." She acknowledged his words with a slight nod and a pursing of her lips, then turned away. He was hurt by her lack of openness with him but realised that now was not the time to press the issue further. As if to confirm this they heard a noise from below. This was the signal from Pralesh. Aeryn opened the window and let down the rope that she had retrieved from the transport pod. She nimbly climbed over the railings of the balcony and shimmied down the rope out of sight. Crichton hastily followed her, thankful that they had been given a room at the back of the hotel. Pralesh came out of the shadows to greet them.  
  
"You weren't followed?" Aeryn questioned him  
  
"No Aeryn Sun, I made sure of it"  
  
"What of the other things we talked about?"  
  
"Some of my colleagues will escort the research staff to a safe haven on the other side of the planet tonight. I have the codes for the security access doors to the research facility here"  
  
"What about the surveillance system?" A rare smile spread across Pralesh's face  
  
"Fortunately the guard on duty tonight is also one of my rebel colleagues. He will ensure that there is no record of our activities. The guards at the entrance to the facility are due to change shift in an arn so we should hurry"  
  
"Very good, Pralesh, you have done well. Now let's go" Aeryn was now in full military commando mode and John just had to follow, though it felt more like obey!  
  
They reached the entrance to the bunker housing the research facility in good time. For concealment it was behind the power plant in an area where few people went, even during the daytime. Whilst this was good for routine security, Aeryn hoped that it would play to their advantage in allowing them to get in and out of the facility unnoticed. They hid behind a nearby building and Aeryn observed the two guards patrolling the entrance through her oculars. Within a short time two new guards came to relieve them. After a few laughing exchanges the ones going off duty hurried away, obviously anxious for a break.  
  
"Right, their shift lasts 6 arns. That should give us plenty of time to get in, destroy the weapon, wipe the computer system and be back in our hotel room before anyone notices! So, John, you take the one on the left as quickly and quietly as possible. We don't want to give them any chance to raise the alarm."  
  
"OK, so no shooting then?" he asked with a wry grin. She didn't bother to reply but pinched him on the arm and gave him a "please try and be sensible" look.  
  
"This is my plan remember, so you do as I say. We go on my command"  
  
"Will that be after three or on three?" he replied  
  
"Now" was her only comment as she silently left their hideaway and stealthily made her way towards the guard on the right. A quick pantak jab and he was disposed of for sometime. John needed two right hooks and a knee to the forehead to deal with his man but soon they were both unconscious, trussed up and stashed away where no one would see them. Pralesh punched in the first set of security codes for the main doors and they were through. He led the way to the elevator that descended to the research bunker.  
  
Pralesh used his last set of codes to open the door to the research facility. It was a very white sterile environment. The large room was filled with a myriad of computer equipment. In the centre of the room was a large cabinet made of a clear Perspex-like material. Inside was what looked like a small silver hubcap.  
  
"Is that it?" said John  
  
"Yes, this is the prototype. It is made of a material that will attach itself irreversibly to the metal of a ship's hull. It is then able to emit a type of radiation with extremely long pathlength that can induce the living death to any sebacean exposed to it within the arn. Even a weapon of this size could kill the crew of, say, a marauder."  
  
"Holy shit" was John's only reply. Aeryn, ever practical, said "How do we destroy it without making too much noise or mess?"  
  
"It is unlikely that we would be able to do that here," said Pralesh "the material is extremely resistant and can easily withstand blasts from a pulse pistol"  
  
"Well, I take it this one's not armed at the moment? It's pretty small. Can't we just take it with us and trash it in space once we're back on Moya?" suggested Crichton  
  
"Yes, that is a possibility, but we must be careful. If it attaches itself to any metal it is immediately activated"  
  
"And I'm right in thinking that this material it's made of has a high magnetic charge so that keeping it away from metal will be no mean feat?"  
  
"You're thinking is very sound John Crichton"  
  
"Yeah, but I really would have liked to be wrong on this occasion. Leave it to me. I'm gonna try and find something to transport it in"  
  
"No, I'll do that John. You set about the computers. They're much more your thing than mine. There are the virus codes that pilot gave us." John sat down at the largest workstation and started pressing buttons in what looked to Aeryn like random fashion but soon the computer sprang into life.  
  
"Ha," he cried, clapping his hands together "time for action, Johnny boy!" Aeryn had to smile at his look of determined but excited concentration; boys and their toys! Suddenly the screen died.  
  
"That should do it. Pralesh, try and boot up the other computers"  
  
"You want me to kick them?"  
  
"Ahh, no. Translator microbe glitch. Turn them on and see if you can find any memory." They checked all of the computers but all were completely wiped. John turned to Aeryn with a triumphant grin.  
  
"Now that's what I call a pretty impressive virus. Who would have thought good old Pilot could come up with something so devious"  
  
"Well I'm glad he did. I would have just had to blast the computers and there goes our cover"  
  
"Yeah, darlin', but it was your idea to use a virus. Getting very tech- minded in your old age"  
  
"Watch who you call old, old man," she replied with a smile and handed him a backpack she had constructed with a lining of come rubbery plastic-like material she had found. They turned their attention to the cabinet containing the prototype device. It appeared to be completely sealed.  
  
"How the frell do we get it open?"  
  
"Can't find any handy buttons. It's probably opened from one of the computers"  
  
"Which we just effectively destroyed"  
  
"Damn, just as everything was going so well"  
  
"Alright, we need to make it look like it has been disturbed as little as possible." With that Aeryn climbed up on the cabinet. Positioning herself precariously on the top, she took out her pulse pistol and adjusted the setting. As she pointed it at the edge of the cabinet top Crichton shielded his eyes and half ducked, expecting a load explosion. When he looked back, instead of the usual pulse the pistol was emitting a thin beam of yellow light that was cutting through the cabinet top.  
  
"I never knew it could do that. Can Winona do that too?"  
  
"It always pays to know your weapon intimately, Crichton," Aeryn said with pride in her voice "just change the setting here and here"  
  
"Right and I do know Winona intimately, I mean we sleep together every night. I've just never fiddled with all her knobs." Aeryn just snorted and carried on as John stared to work on the other side of the cabinet. They finished quickly and managed to lift out the top in one piece. Crichton grabbed the weapon and placed in carefully in Aeryn's prepared backpack. They then carefully lowered the top back in position.  
  
"Wouldn't know that we've been here," said John with a grin. He jumped down and turned to see Aeryn attempting the same move, but instead she swayed slightly and clutched onto the cabinet, eyes closed. He could se she was very pale, even for her.  
  
"Baby, you OK?" he asked with a worried look, giving her his hand and using a steadying arm.  
  
"I'm fine" she said through gritted teeth "I just looked up too quickly" she let out a long breath and taking another deep one seemed to recover. "Now let's get out of here." John slipped on the backpack. They scanned the room before leaving; it looked exactly the same as when they had come in, except for the missing prototype.  
  
They headed back towards the elevator. They had nearly reached it when the doors opened to reveal a platoon of troops accompanied, worse still, by two Scarrens. Their cover had obviously been broken.  
  
"John, cover me while I get the door controls" they both fired off shots; Aeryn's accurately taking out the door controls and John's randomly spraying the occupants of the car as they returned fire. The doors mercifully closed shut with Aeryn's last shot.  
  
"Frell" was her only comment. 


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
"So much for stealth!" exclaimed Crichton  
  
"It was a plan" replied Aeryn, testily  
  
They could hear the occupants of the elevator working on the door.  
  
"Pralesh, any other options for escape?"  
  
"Yes, but it is a long way. We will have to climb out. Follow me." They ran back the way that they had come, then took a different corridor. The place seemed like a maze of white corridors that all looked the same, but Pralesh seemed to know where he was going so Crichton and Aeryn followed him. Crichton clutched onto the straps of the backpack containing the weapon to make sure that it was safe. They came to dead-end leading only to a staircase ascending into the darkness. Pralesh started to climb and the others followed. There was a hairy moment when the pack slipped towards the metal stairs, but John managed to grab it in time. Pralesh opened the hatch at the top and they climbed through to more of the same white corridors. Dropping the hatch back down they sealed it shut.  
  
"That should hold them for a little while." More corridors and another staircase. Crichton didn't know about the others but he had just about had it. His lungs were bursting and his legs felt like lead. They could hear their pursuers getting closer. Pralesh lead them up the next corridor to another dead end with a heavy door covered in weird-looking symbols.  
  
"I know they're coming, but I have to rest for a bit," gasped Crichton  
  
"There is no time for rest John Crichton. This is the only escape route but I have to tell you that this staircase is irradiated for protection and security," said Pralesh  
  
"We're gonna get a dose of radiation?"  
  
"Yes, but it is at quite a low level, only enough to cause very mild radiation sickness. I have some treatments. Hurry"  
  
Aeryn hesitated. This was almost what she had been hoping for. She knew enough about sebacean pregnancy to know that even a low dose of radiation would cause her to loose her baby. In this situation she had little choice but to go up that staircase in order to survive. John would understand, if she even chose to tell him. This was their only escape route and there would be a chance for another child when their lives were more stable. She looked at John, breathing heavily and rubbing at a stitch in his side and then at the door and in that instant made a decision.  
  
"No" she said  
  
"No what, Aeryn?"  
  
"No, we're not going that way"  
  
"But Pralesh says it's our only option"  
  
"There is always another option"  
  
"If you're worried about the radiation sickness let me assure you that I have treatments that work on sebaceans."  
  
"It's not that. I'm not going to discuss it further now. The fact is I am not going that way. It's up to you whether you go that way or with me." From experience John knew that it was no use arguing with her and he could hear the soldiers getting closer.  
  
"OK Aeryn, we'll do this your way. Pralesh, don't worry about us, we'll meet you up top. You go this way. At least that way the thugs may split up and try and follow both of us"  
  
"I don't like it John Crichton, but I will do as you say." He too obviously recognised the implacable nature of Aeryn's position. John and Aeryn ran back down the corridor as Pralesh started to open the heavy door.  
  
"What's that?" said Aeryn pointing to a vent in the ceiling  
  
"Air vents? Probably an air conditioning system this deep underground"  
  
"See, I told you there was always an alternative. I'll get this loose while you keep an eye on the hatch from the staircase"  
  
"Um, Aeryn, how are you going to reach it?"  
  
"By sitting on your shoulders of course!" She was up quickly. Crichton attempted to keep her steady whilst maintaining the backpack in its position and aiming Winona at the staircase hatch. Whilst juggling all these things at once he contemplated that whatever had put Aeryn off the irradiated staircase better be damn good, but now was not the best time to worry about it. Suddenly, a hand then a head appeared through the hatch. John got off a couple of good shots and the soldier fell back with a scream.  
  
"I'm through," shouted Aeryn. She jumped up into the void above and pulled John through. They managed to get the vent back in place before the head of the next pursuer appeared. They lay there silently as the troops and the Scarrens all climbed through the hatchway and ran off down the corridor towards the irradiated staircase. It was while this was happening that John began to realise they might have another problem. They were in a very narrow pipe, naturally made of some sort of metal. When the coast was clear he said,  
  
"Hey, Aeryn, we've avoided one radiation hazard but potentially run into another; talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire" she looked at him questioningly. "I'm gonna have to be real careful if Metal Mickey here is not gonna make us both complete toast"  
  
"Well make sure you are"  
  
"Hey, give me some slack here. I could always make you carry it"  
  
"No" she said with conviction, then more calmly "I mean, it would be difficult for you to get the back pack off now".  
  
"Do you know where we're going?"  
  
"The only way is up, John!"  
  
They began to crawl. The incline made it slow going, especially as it became steeper and steeper. They got little help from looking through the vents because all they saw each time was the same white corridors. John was taking things very carefully, crawling along on his belly, trying to keep the weapon as far away from the metal pipe as possible. It didn't help that it was virtually pitch black in between the vents. They almost had a disaster when John crashed into Aeryn's feet in front of him when she stopped suddenly.  
  
"John, do you smell that?"  
  
"Smell what? I can't smell anything except your feet in my face." She chose to ignore this insult.  
  
"Fresh air. Come on, we must be close." Sure enough around the next bend in the pipe a dim light could be seen at the end. They reached it and looked out. It was close to dawn and in the pale light they could see that they were only a few feet above ground, near the entrance to the bunker where they had come in. The only problem was that now there were guards patrolling the area, obviously searching for them. The two Scarrens were standing by the entrance talking into a comm.  
  
"They have eluded us so far, sir, but they can't be far. I believe that they will head for their ship. Yes sir, right away." He snapped off the comm. "Move! To the landing bay area. We are to secure their ship." As they moved off, Aeryn and Crichton jumped down from the vent.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Let's find Pralesh then make our way over to the landing area"  
  
"You heard them, Aeryn, they're gonna "secure" our ship"  
  
"Then we'll just have to "secure" someone else's." They moved quietly round the buildings. A sudden footfall had them turning at speed, pulse pistols at the ready  
  
"Pralesh, man, you need to be careful. Creeping up on us like that is gonna get you shot"  
  
"I am glad you made it out safely. I have to thank you for all you have done Aeryn Sun and John Crichton"  
  
"Hey it was nothing! All we need you to do now is help us to get a ship out of here so we can finish the job." Crichton replied, pointing at the backpack still tied safely to him. When they arrived at the landing area they realised that this was not going to be that easy. Their transport pod was surrounded and guards were patrolling the whole area.  
  
"Got any bright ideas, Aeryn?"  
  
"Go away and come back in the morning?"  
  
"It's an idea, not sure I'd call it bright though"  
  
"OK, so what's your plan? I've come up with all the ideas this trip. It's time you contributed a few pearls of wisdom!"  
  
"Well, how about I make like I'm gonna surrender to them. They're not gonna shoot me 'cos they want to interrogate me about wormholes. Whilst I'm distracting them you run to that small fighter ship over there, jump in and then blast the hell out of them before picking me up"  
  
"That's a terrible plan. We'll both be killed"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, your assuming that a) they instantly recognise you before shooting and b) that ship is unlocked with its weapons loaded." Pralesh looked at the bickering pair incredulously. This was obviously going to develop into a significant argument. Fortunately, it was interrupted by a load noise from above. Suddenly, appearing out nowhere was Lo'la. Guns blazing, D'Argo managed to take out the guards around the transport pod. Aeryn and Crichton both sprang into action.  
  
"Way to go D. That's our que. So long Pralesh, it's been a blast"  
  
"My people will be forever thankful John Crichton and Aeryn Sun. I wish you the best of fortune," he yelled out after them. They ran to the transport pod, both pulse pistols firing, and Aeryn had the pod airborne before anyone could recover from Lo'la's assault. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
"I still don't know how you knew to come and rescue us," John queried D'Argo.  
  
"It was in Aeryn's message," he said simply  
  
"It was? I was there when she sent it and I don't remember"  
  
"Well it was clear to me. She said that you had a romantic evening together planned and I could probably guess what you had planned for the rest of the night. Jool then said to have fun and that she hoped you didn't wear her out. Then Aeryn said, yeah, she'd probably need rescuing by morning. Clear as day that she wanted us to be ready to mount a rescue in the morning. I had Pilot monitor the surface, so when he picked up all the troop movements around the landing area, that's where I headed."  
  
"Well I would never have picked up the subliminal message but I'm sure glad you did, D." He clapped his friend on the back and Aeryn just laughed.  
  
"May be D'Argo and I are on a closer wavelength than we thought!" They were in the cargo bay contemplating the weapon Crichton and Aeryn had appropriated.  
  
"Should we keep this or destroy it?" asked John  
  
"I say destroy it. If we keep it there is always a chance that it may get activated or someone may steal it from us. We don't want it finding its way back to the Scarrens," was Aeryn's opinion  
  
"Right, I agree. We'll take it out in Lo'la well away from Moya, then let it loose in space and I'll shoot it to smithereens," said D'Argo with satisfaction.  
  
With the weapon destroyed they made their way to the mess area to relate the details of their latest adventure to the others over dinner. When dinner had finished John observed Aeryn slipping quietly away. With surprising tact he decided to leave her be for a short while and didn't get Pilot to find her for him until after the others had retired for the sleep cycle. He found her on the terrace gazing out at space. He slipped onto the floor beside her and took her hand.  
  
"So you gonna tell me what all that was about down there with the radiation thing?"  
  
"What did you think it was about, John?" she asked, still gazing out at the stars. John paused for a moment to gather his thoughts  
  
"Well, I came up with two possibilities. At first I thought it could have been a sebacean heat delirium thing, but then I thought you might have been thinking about you know, the other one, and how he died and you were worried about me." Aeryn smiled ruefully  
  
"Not bad, Crichton, not bad at all, but wrong on both counts. The real reason I didn't want to go up that staircase is much simpler but has much greater consequences"  
  
"It is? It does? Aeryn, you have to tell me honey, the suspense is killing me." She took a deep breath and turned to face him.  
  
"I'm pregnant"  
  
"Pregnant? Pregnant? Really? Oh, baby that's, that's just wonderful," a huge smile broke over his face and he pulled her into a tight hug.  
  
"Is it?  
  
"Of course it is! We're going to have a baby"  
  
"No, I'm going to have the baby. And it's not wonderful John, it's a disaster"  
  
John's grin faltered somewhat as he started to register Aeryn's distinct lack of enthusiasm for the idea of starting a family together. Admittedly they hadn't really talked about it, but he was pretty sure that she knew about his strong desire for kids someday.  
  
"Hey, of course it's not a disaster. I mean, I know it's not great timing and all, what with the Peacekeepers and now the Scarrens chasing our asses all over the galaxy, but if we waited for the right time it might never come."  
  
"It's not the timing, John, although I agree its frelled. It's the whole idea of having a child. How can we bring a child into this? I don't know the first thing about having a baby except that it's going to severely hamper my abilities in our all too frequent battles. What about rearing a child? I only met my mother three times and on two of those occasions she tried to kill me. I never knew my father as my own mother killed him. It's not exactly a great role model for practical parenting is it!" John could see she was really getting herself worked up about this. He pulled her into his arms.  
  
"I know that your childhood wasn't exactly a bed of roses, but the important thing is that we'll do this together. I'll be there for you every step of the way"  
  
"I knew you would say something like that. The usual blind optimism! What if you're not? What if Scorpius or Grayza or whoever finally catches up with you? What would I do with a child by myself?"  
  
"You'd do the best you could, Aeryn"  
  
"That might not be good enough, John. I'm just not sure that I have what it takes to be a mother."  
  
"I'm sure you do, you'll see," he said, a touch of desperation in his voice. Not knowing what else to say he lapsed into silence, a myriad of emotions in his head. His overwhelming joy at the thought of fatherhood mixed with anxiety for Aeryn, both mentally and physically. She had not long recovered from a near fatal illness and now she would be putting her body through pregnancy. He knew her well enough to know that if she didn't accept pending motherhood she would fight it every step of the way. He held her close, one hand mechanically rubbing up and down her spine in a gesture of comfort.  
  
"How long have you known?"  
  
"A couple of weekens. I started feeling like dren and I thought it had something to do with my illness so I had Jool check me out"  
  
"You've known a couple of weekens and you didn't tell me?"  
  
"I needed time to think about it. To decide what to do"  
  
"What to do? There's not much you can do, Aeryn; you can't be not quite pregnant you know!" Aeryn was silent for a moment gazing at the floor. The penny dropped for Crichton  
  
"You wouldn't have? Aeryn, tell me you wouldn't have," he said pleadingly  
  
"Don't think that I didn't think about it. I had the perfect opportunity too. We could have escaped up that irradiated staircase and I would undoubtedly have miscarried. It's so early that you needn't have known anything about it. But I found that I couldn't do it. In that moment of decision I knew clearly that I couldn't knowingly kill our child." Crichton pulled her into a fierce hug.  
  
"Oh thank God, thank God, Aeryn. Oh baby everything's going to be alright, alright. We can do this."  
  
"I'm glad you're so sure, John, you'll just have to optimistic for the both of us." She looked up into his face, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm so scared, John. I don't think I've ever been so scared of anything in my life as I have of this, not even Namtar. Before my actions towards myself only had consequences for me, now everything I do is affecting another life as well as my own"  
  
"Hey, I know you'll rise to the challenge, just like you have every other emotional curve ball life has thrown at you ever since I've known you. And I AM going to be here to help you with this challenge. No one, not even Scorpy, is going to stop me being there for you and our child and that's a promise"  
  
"One I'll hold you to" she laughed shakily, scrubbing at the tears on her face but they kept coming until she was crying in earnest. "Oh frell, why am I such a watering pot all of a sudden"  
  
"It's called hormones, sweetheart," he replied gently and leaned over to kiss away her tears. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
It had been two weekens since their adventure with the Scarren radiation weapon, two weekens in which Crichton had had to bite his tongue on several occasions to keep his promise to Aeryn not to tell anyone about the baby just yet  
  
"Until we both get used to the idea of being parents," she had said  
  
"Aeryn, I think the others may notice by the time he or she is twenty-one!" he had joked in reply but complied with her wish, however hard it was for him. Every now and then his joy would well up in him like the bubbles of champagne and come out as a sort of goofy smile.  
  
"Why are you smiling to yourself like that, Crichton?" It was Rygel that caught him on this occasion  
  
"Oh, nothing Sparky, just thinking about something Aeryn said the other day"  
  
"Hmm, I don't know what you've got to be happy about. The pair of you were supposed to get enough supplies to last a monen at that last planet and all you got was a pitiful supply of food cubes and some useless piece of metal which D'Argo then blew up. I can't believe you left behind all the fresh food that you had already paid for"  
  
"Gee, sorry, Buckwheat. Next time we'll just let intergalactic war break out and the Scarrens kick our butts, but make sure that we pick up the fresh groceries before we try and escape. Anyway, Pilot's found another commerce planet. We should be there tomorrow morning. I'll make sure that I'm more successful this time and I'll even use my own share of our money, not the kitty. Does that please your worshipfulness?"  
  
"Yes, and make sure there's a decent supply of marjools" Rygel had to get the last word in before speeding off on his thronesled.  
  
The next day Crichton awoke to the sound of Aeryn stumbling to their bathroom. It was the same thing that had woken him for the past weeken or so. He went after her and found her hunched over the basin  
  
"Crichton, you are so lucky that I haven't got my pulse pistol with me right now or I really would shot you!"  
  
"I know, babe, its all my fault," he said softly as he gently wrapped a towel round her shoulders. It was almost becoming a routine; he held her hair away from her face and gently rubbed her back while she went through her morning conversation with the basin. This morning was the worse so far.  
  
"Shall I get Jool?" he asked anxiously  
  
"No, I just want to go back to bed" she snivelled. He picked her up and carried her back to their bed.  
  
"I frelling hate feeling like this" she said with conviction as she lay back amongst the covers  
  
"I'm sorry, babe. You stay there. I'll take D'Argo on the grocery trip instead. Is there anything special that I can get you? Some crispy grolak or something?"  
  
She opened one eye, levelled her gaze at Crichton and said very calmly "John, I have to tell you that I can now reach my pulse pistol and if you mention food to me once more I will shoot you in the mivonks so that this can never happen again!" He wisely backed away at that point  
  
D'Argo and Crichton took Lo'la to the commerce planet. Its main trading area seemed to be very ancient. The old walls were extremely thick and had many arches. Some just had small stalls within them whilst others had openings to larger shops housed in crypt-like underground caverns. The whole place was teeming with life. As they wandered through the throng of people John spotted one of the stalls selling what looked like baby gear. He desperately wanted to go over and buy something to take back to Aeryn, but he didn't think she'd appreciate it right now.  
  
"John, why are you staring over there with that silly grin on your face?"  
  
"Oh, God D'Argo, Aeryn's gonna kill me, but if I don't tell you I'll burst"  
  
"That would be extremely unpleasant. Tell me what?"  
  
"Aeryn, she's, I mean, we, well we're gonna have a baby!"  
  
"Aeryn's pregnant? Well that certainly explains a lot of things"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like why she almost bit my head off when I told her she looked a bit tired when we changed watches in command the other day, why she's been going about with a face that makes Rygel look like someone with a sunny disposition. Shall I go on?"  
  
"God, I know D. I don't know what to do. You know I really, really want kids, and I couldn't be more happy about this, but Aeryn, she's not keen on the idea at all"  
  
"Well that's only to be expected really, John. I shouldn't think that Aeryn's ever given motherhood a thought before now. Give her time. I remember when Lolaan was first pregnant with Jothee; she had been raised with so much dren about pure sebacean bloodlines that she was so frightened by the prospect of a half Luxan child she wouldn't talk to me for about a monen. Once she got used to the idea she couldn't have been happier"  
  
"I hope you're right bro." He sighed "I seem to be spending half my life giving Aeryn time"  
  
"You have to remember, John, that everything she has had to deal with since she met you is new, completely alien to her way of life. You took time to adjust to being out here but all the emotional, relationship "human" stuff is second nature to you. It's not to her. She's still learning."  
  
"Yeah, I know D, but she's really scared about this. I've never seen her so scared of anything and you know when she's like that she can be a bit unpredictable. And she's right; I'm scared too; for her, for us, for the baby. I mean, what if the Peacekeepers or the Scarrens ever find out about the baby? They may try and use it to get to me. Aeryn's always been able to take care of herself, hell, she usually saves my ass as well. Being pregnant or having a young child makes her vulnerable. I couldn't live with myself if by getting her pregnant I have put both their lives at risk"  
  
"You can't worry about that, John. You thoughts need to stay closer to home and focus on Aeryn right now. I imagine that's a more immediate worry if she's not very happy with the idea! Make sure she feels safe and loved. I know that Aeryn's not the most ah, romantic of souls, but in my experience this is a very important time to make sure she feels like a woman and not just the mother of your child. So instead of buying that little baby outfit you were eyeing up just now, buy a present for her"  
  
"That's good advice D. I feel so guilty about being so happy about it, but I really think that this is right for us. Do you think I should push my luck and finally pop the question?"  
  
"You mean marriage? I wouldn't just yet if I were you, not until she has come to terms with her current situation. My big mistake with Chiana was pushing her for too much too quickly so she panicked and looked for an escape route. I'm not saying Aeryn would do the same thing but you have to be patient with her."  
  
"Time and patience. You're starting to sound a but like Zhaan, but your right. I just hope she gets used to the idea quickly." He patted D'Argo on the shoulder, glad to have someone to talk to who understood about women, well as much as any male ever could. "You will look suitably surprised when we finally tell everyone about the baby won't you?"  
  
"I'll do my best, and, John, I'm really happy for you both"  
  
"Thanks big guy"  
  
During this conversation they had wandered to the end of the market place. In front of them was an arch that looked even older than the others, under which any number of odd looking objects were displayed  
  
"Hey, D, check this out. It's like an old fashioned bric-a-brac shop, sells anything and everything. I might find something for Aeryn here"  
  
"I'll go and make sure the supplies have arrived. I'll see you back at Lo'la in an arn"  
  
Crichton dipped his head beneath the archway and entered the shop. It seemed to go on forever. There was a myriad of rooms filled with everything from the detritus of life in the UTs to beautiful and expensive pieces of jewellery. There were books, weird looking instruments, ship parts mixed in with clothes, cooking pots and utensils. Crichton felt that if he searched long enough he bet he could find something from earth, but right now he wanted to find something that Aeryn would like. He eventually came up to a desk with a very wrinkled old man sat behind it. It was difficult to tell what species he might be, he was so old.  
  
"Can I help you?" he enquired of Crichton  
  
"Umm, I'm looking for something for my," how did he describe Aeryn? Lover, shipmate, friend, the centre of his universe "my mate" he finally settled on. He pointed to some very delicate bottles on the desk. "These are nice. Are they scent bottles?"  
  
"No, they don't contain scent. It's a compatibility test. An ideal present for your mate"  
  
"We've already done one of those, and it's not like we need anymore proof of our compatibility" he replied with a grin. The old man looked at him enquiringly and suddenly he found himself explaining all about the baby. He could not seem to stop himself. He talked about his hopes and fears, that they had enemies that may try and take their baby, how he wanted to settle down because living on a leviathan and being chased all about the Uncharted Territories wasn't really the right environment in which to raise a child, his worries for Aeryn because of the unknown factor in her pregnancy of the development of a half human-sebacean baby.  
  
"Human, I have not heard of it before" the old man finally interrupted him  
  
"Not many people have. I've been lead to believe that I'm unique in this part of the galaxy"  
  
"Unique, interesting"  
  
"Oh, yes unique is always interesting, or so I have been told"  
  
"If you would like to know if there are ancient links between your species we can also test your genetic origins"  
  
"So, like you could tell if humans and sebaceans are genetically related?"  
  
"I have some contacts that are able to do that, yes"  
  
"I'll think about it. Right now I need to get back to my ship and I think I've found just the thing for Aeryn" He picked up the object he had spotted whilst talking to the old man. It was a small knife in a holster. The holster was of fine-tooled leather and the knife had a beautiful handle. It was small but extremely sharp. He knew it was something that Aeryn would appreciate but would never buy for herself. "Yes, this is just right. How much do you want for it?" They agreed a price after a friendly haggle and Crichton reluctantly left the shop.  
  
As he was heading back to Lo'la he noticed that the crowd seemed to have miraculously cleared. A low moaning, growling sound came from one of the side alleys and suddenly this huge hairy beast with a long snout came at Crichton.  
  
"Shit, it's Chewbacca and I seem to have pissed him off somehow!" He ran as fast as he could towards where they had landed Lo'la. The beast came after him and made a lunge for him. It caught the back of his leg but he managed to get out of its grip. Despite the pain in his leg, John ran faster. At last Lo'la and D'Argo came into sight.  
  
"D'Argo, quick, get on Lo'la and get us the hell out of here"  
  
D'Argo ignored this instruction. He took out his Qualta blade, took careful aim and fired, hitting the creature chasing after Crichton in the chest area. It yelped and ran off.  
  
"What was that thing?" gasped Crichton  
  
One of the locals who was helping to load supplies onto Lo'la answered him "That was the Grasha. It belongs to Sentros."  
  
"And he would be?"  
  
"One of the banes of our lives. We have lost so much custom because of him. He is a being that trades in genetic and cellular material. We have tried to force him off this planet but have never succeeded. Funny, you're sebacean, he only usually preys on rare species not already in his collection"  
  
"I'm not sebacean, I'm human."  
  
"Did you tell anyone this?"  
  
"Yeah, some old guy in one of the shops. Don't tell me that was him!"  
  
"It could have been, no one really knows what he looks like. He is extremely elusive. When he detects a new subject he sends the Grasha to obtain it. It can sense genetic signatures"  
  
"Hell, if he just wants a DNA sample I'm happy to give him one. I've already left them over half the galaxy"  
  
"Sentros doesn't take small samples. He supplies cellular material on an industrial scale. For a rare specimen such as yourself he would want at least a limb, preferably more"  
  
"God, me and my big mouth. I had to go and brag about the unique thing and now Shylock wants his pound of flesh."  
  
They turned at the sudden noise of a ship taking off.  
  
"That is Sentros' vessel"  
  
"You didn't tell him about Moya did you?" asked D'Argo  
  
"Yeah, I couldn't seem to stop myself"  
  
"Sentros is able to extract information from people, both by telepathy and mind control"  
  
You mean he's a god like alien and he's got a critter? I can't believe I've found a god like alien with a critter! Why do I always seem to attract these people? My nightmares just go on getting better." A sudden and horrible thought struck him "Does it have to be a sample of me or would he take any tissue that might be in some way related to my species?"  
  
"Oh no, he will use can use any type of genetic or cellular material he can find. Once he's identified a new species he will stop at nothing to obtain the biggest and best sample he can"  
  
"Including foetal tissue?"  
  
"Oh yes, he prefers to get a sample of foetal material if he can" the man replied, bitterness in his voice. John didn't have time to enquire why that was, but turned to D'Argo urgently,  
  
"Holy mother of God, I also told him about Aeryn being pregnant. We have to get back to Moya now" 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Aeryn was in the galley wolfing down food cubes. Once she recovered from her sickness she was always ravenously hungry. Jool found her with her mouth stuffed full. Laughing, she said,  
  
"You better not let Rygel see you eating that many food cubes" Aeryn swallowed her last mouthful.  
  
"I can't believe we have nothing else. They taste like dren but I'm so hungry I can't seem to stop eating them"  
  
"Well, you know, eating for two"  
  
"Please, Jool, don't"  
  
"Have you told him yet?"  
  
"Yes, and he was predictably overjoyed and his usual over optimistic self about the whole thing"  
  
"So you've accepted it now?"  
  
"I don't know if accepted is the right word," she sighed. "You know when we were trying to escape from that planet I came really close to getting a dose of radiation that would have dealt with the whole thing, but my frelling conscience got in the way. So I suppose I'm just going to have to go through with it. Don't know whether you'd consider that acceptance"  
  
"Go through with what?" asked Chiana coming into the galley. Aeryn and Jool looked at each other  
  
"Promise me you won't say anything to the others"  
  
"Hey, you know me"  
  
"That's why I need the promise. This is important Chiana, I mean it. I made John promise not to tell anyone and now I'm going to break that promise by telling you"  
  
"I get the message Aeryn. What is it? What's the big secret?"  
  
"I'm pregnant"  
  
"You and John are having a baby? Wow, that's the dradest"  
  
"I'm glad you think so"  
  
"Well you love him don't you?"  
  
"Yes, but."  
  
"And you want to spend the rest of your life with him?"  
  
"I've never really thought that far ahead, but I suppose I do" she replied, a little embarrassed  
  
"Well this is just a step towards that" Aeryn didn't look convinced. Chiana carried on regardless  
  
"Although I understand that in Crichton's culture marriage usually comes before the babies. He asked you yet?" Aeryn shook her head  
  
"He's a good man, Aeryn. I know he'll do everything he can for you and your child" Jool added her weight to the argument  
  
"The princess here is right. There aren't many of them like John about. Trust me, I've done a lot of, ah, research, in this area. You should do everything you can to hang on to him. And besides that butt in those tight leather pants is about the cutest thing in the Uncharted Territories"  
  
"Too right" agreed Jool. Even Aeryn was forced to laugh at that  
  
"Hey, hands off you two, that's mine and mine alone, you keep your hands and your eyes off of it!"  
  
Aeryn had never really had this type of conversation before. She supposed this is what John called "girl talk". She had had many female friends on the command carrier but they were comrades. Their conversations had usually been about how the unit had performed in the latest exercise or battle, where their next posting would be, that kind of thing. She wasn't sure she was really keen on this idea of discussing her problems, even some of her most intimate feelings with other women, but it was a good feeling to share her issues with Chiana and Jool, who when she thought about it, she would consider her friends. They didn't have the same intimate connection with the issue that John had but thought about the problem from her point of view. She decided to really get into the swing of the idea and asked a question that had been bothering her for some time.  
  
"Why does everyone refer to it like this is a joint effort, like we're both having this baby? I mean John's done his bit. He's not going through what I'm going through, not feeling like dren, spending half my life crying at nothing, throwing up all the time"  
  
"I don't know, you just do," replied Chiana "Besides you really haven't tried to think of some good ways of evening out the situation yet, have you?" she put on a whiny voice "Oh honey, the baby won't let me get comfortable, I need to stretch out. Can you sleep on the floor?" Aeryn laughed  
  
"John, being John would probably do it"  
  
"Yeah, and when the little gink is actually born you can get him to do all the really nasty jobs like changing its diaper"  
  
They spent the next quarter arn coming up with various schemes for Aeryn to make John as uncomfortable as she was feeling so that by the end of it she felt great for the first time in ages. This comfy session over the food cubes was interrupted by Pilot.  
  
"A vessel has just boarded Moya. The occupant says that he is delivering supplies from the planet purchased by Commander Crichton and Ka D'Argo"  
  
"We're on our way Pilot" They started down the corridor towards the cargo bay.  
  
"That doesn't seem right. Why wouldn't they just bring them back themselves?" Asked Chiana. This train of thought was interrupted by the comms cracking into life  
  
"Aeryn, Aeryn!" John's voice sounded urgent and desperate  
  
"Yes, John?"  
  
"Listen to me. That ship that has come aboard probably contains a being that is after pieces of me. He wants a sample of human in any shape or form. Do you understand me? He has some enormous critter that is able to sense my DNA signature. You have to keep away from it, don't let it anywhere near you"  
  
"I understand, John. Are you and D'Argo on your way?"  
  
"We should be with you in about 500 microts" came D'Argo's reply  
  
"Pilot, shut the cargo bay doors so that they can't get into the main ship"  
  
"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Officer Sun. Two life forms have already left the ship. One is heading towards you" Aeryn was glad she had told Pilot about the baby earlier. She thought he deserved to know as it might have some component of his DNA. Now he immediately understood John's message and would do everything he could to try and help  
  
"Understood Pilot. I'm going to try and make it to your den. Can you seal as many doors as possible?  
  
"Of course, Aeryn. I will also send DRDs to help"  
  
"We'll go towards the cargo bay and try to hold it off" said Chiana "come on Princess" They ran one way and Aeryn went the other towards Pilot's den. She was within a couple of corridors of reaching him when she heard a loud growling behind her. She turned to see a beast, at least as big as D'Argo, bearing down on her. She drew her pulse pistol and fired, hitting it in the arm and then the shoulder but it just kept coming.  
  
John sped through the ship, D'Argo close behind him. He heard Aeryn scream. It was so unlike her to do so that it spurred him on more, the injury to his leg, hastily bandaged, leaving a trail of blood along the corridor. He rounded the corner and saw the Grasha. It had Aeryn pinned up against the wall. Its jaws were trying to clamp around her abdomen but she was fighting it for all she was worth  
  
"No, you are not going to hurt my baby" she cried through gritted teeth  
  
Whilst his heart leapt at her defence of their child, he knew she couldn't hang on much longer. He raced at the beast and tried to push it off Aeryn. They both fell to the floor and John managed to roll away as D'Argo shot it through the head with his Qualta blade, then for good measure stuck the blade through it's chest  
  
"That should finish the job," he said with satisfaction  
  
"Thanks man. That's at least two I owe you today"  
  
"You can't win John Crichton," said a voice behind them. Crichton sat up, as the old man from the shop seemed to materialise from no where. He was holding Aeryn in a tight grip and seemed anything but weak or infirm, despite his apparent age.  
  
"No, don't touch her, take me instead"  
  
"No, John," Aeryn insisted  
  
"It's alright babe" he replied with a sweet smile for her as he made his way towards them. As he came closer his arm suddenly came up and Sentros fell to the floor, the dagger John had purchased from him sticking in his chest  
  
"Not so God-like after all."  
  
"Where did you get that knife?" asked Aeryn matter of factly as she came into his waiting arms  
  
"Well I bought it from that very same guy as a present for you sweetheart"  
  
"Nice of you to test it's sharpness for me" she said as she stared at her erstwhile captor  
  
"Nothing but the finest for my best girl" he replied with a kiss. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
After she had finished bandaging John's leg and all their various cuts and bruises, John insisted that Jool check to make sure that the baby was OK.  
  
"The poor thing's lost two of its lives already and it's not even born yet"  
  
Aeryn seemed to have recovered remarkably well from her ordeal, which she accepted with the equanimity of someone who has stopped being surprised by what the universe kept throwing at them. However, she stayed as close to John as possible and when he laid his hand over her stomach possessively she simply laid hers on top, looked him in the eye and nodded. He felt a great weight lift off his shoulders as he knew she was on the road to accepting that she was going to become a mother.  
  
"I love you so much"  
  
"I love you to" she replied. They made their way towards Jool and her scanner  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that doctor had to remove Aeryn's IC?" Jool asked as she prepared the machine  
  
"IC?"  
  
"Implanted contraceptive"  
  
"So that's what he was talking about. Oops"  
  
"I'll give you oops, John Crichton" Aeryn hit him playfully in the ribs, although with Aeryn even playful packed a pretty mean punch  
  
"Ow. How was I to know? I'm just a stupid human and a guy at that. That's girls stuff" They both gave him a look. "Besides I was somewhat preoccupied with keeping you alive and out of Peacekeeper hands at the time" Aeryn ignored this excuse and carried on  
  
"Do you know yet why I've been so sick, Jool?"  
  
"No, I can't find anything about it in Moya's medical files on sebacean pregnancy"  
  
"Um, I think that I may be able to shed some light on that as well" John admitted somewhat sheepishly. Both ladies turned to look at him "morning sickness is a common side effect in human pregnancy"  
  
"You mean it really is your fault? Don't tell me it will happen all the way through?"  
  
"No, usually just for the first few months, er monens"  
  
"Well that's something at least. I'm surprised your species reproduce at all if this is what you have to go through. I'm not sure I can stand another day of it, let another 8 monens"  
  
"Now this is where I get my brownie points 'cos human pregnancies are only 9 monens."  
  
"Really?" said Jool, always interested in new knowledge "Well, that certainly helps me in trying to work out when the baby might be born. Anyway, everything seems OK on the scan. You guys want to look?"  
  
For once in his life John Crichton was actually quiet. He gazed in awed wonder at the tiny figure on the scan, it's heart beating ten to the dozen. He squeezed Aeryn's hand tightly as tears formed in his eyes  
  
"Wow, look what we did, babe" he breathed quietly in her ear "we actually made a life. Isn't that so much better than just taking them?"  
  
"Yes, I think it might be" her voice was a choked whisper. He coughed and recovered himself.  
  
"So, don't you think it's about time we told everyone. I mean, they're gonna start noticing soon" he laid his hand over the slight roundness of her stomach. Aeryn looked at Jool, a guilty expression on her face.  
  
"Well, I've already told Pilot because I thought he had a right to know, what with the DNA thing. And Chiana overheard Jool and I talking earlier so she knows as well." John assumed a mock-serious expression  
  
"So you mean I've been holding myself back all this time and you've practically told everyone already?"  
  
"I haven't told D'Argo" John's expression switched to guilty as well as he remembered his conversation with D'Argo that morning  
  
"Oh, damn, hoisted by my own petard. I happened to let it slip whilst we were on that planet today"  
  
"Well then, it seems that Rygel is the only one that doesn't know"  
  
"Ha, I can't wait to see his face when he realises that rations are gonna have to be split seven ways instead of six. Let's go and break the good news to Sparky, darlin'!"  
  
They left themed bay arm in arm, laughing as they went.  
  
THE END  
  
(Thanks for all the feedback, especially to Anna - glad you liked it) 


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